Exercise 1 Collins and Makowsky observe: “In society, as in nature, there is a continual struggle for dominance. In this struggle the guileful people win out, both by using force and by appealing to the sentiments of the dull, conservative one. There is thus always an elite, and revolutions change only the leaders” (p. 194). Go to http://www.webmarketingnow.com/guest-articles/80-20-rule.html. This link provides an excellent illustration of “sociology in action.” Pareto’s “80/20 Rule” is well known in the world of marketing and management. After you have read the contents of this link, answer the following questions: - Based on your reading of your text, explain Pareto’s notion of the “trivial many and the critical few.”
- Pareto wrote a book entitled The Rise and Fall of the Elites. The essence of this treatise is explained in Item # 6 on page 194 of Collins and Makowsky. Do you agree or disagree with Pareto’s thinking along these lines? Why or why not?
- Apply Pareto’s “80/20 Rule” to the components of your personal life. Do you agree with the rule in principle? Why or why not?
Exercise 2 Collins and Makowsky note: “The major fault in Parsons’s method is overabstraction” (p. 204). Go to http://socserver.soc.iastate.edu/soc401c/functionalism%28jan28%29.pdf. [Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat to view this link; free downloads are readily available on the Web.] After you have examined the contents of this link, answer the following questions: - What are the key ingredients in the “downfall of functionalism”?
- Based on the text’s discussion, what other criticisms may be added to this list?
- Despite these criticisms, what are your sentiments about the usefulness of the functionalist theory? How do you think that functionalism can be applied to understand the elements of everyday life?
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2005 McGraw-Hill Higher Education